


Ensnared by Love

by The_Busy_Beee



Category: DOUBLE DECKER! ダグ&キリル | Double Decker! Doug & Kirill (Anime)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love's Kiss, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29705130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Busy_Beee/pseuds/The_Busy_Beee
Summary: Mermaid Valery has always been fascinated by humans.He knows it's dangerous to be so close to the surface so often, but he's careful. After years of practice, he knows just how to avoid being caught...Until he slips up.
Relationships: Derick Ross/Valery Vrubel
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Ensnared by Love

**Author's Note:**

> Last one for now!
> 
> These were originally supposed to be for a fanzine, but with all the delays over the last year, I'm not sure if the Zine is ever going to be produced, and I haven't had any updates in quite a while.  
> (If the Zine is still expected to be produced and my posting these causes problems in any way, I apologize! Just let me know!)
> 
> This one gave me so much heartache but I love it so much. 💖💖

Valery knows he shouldn't be this close to the surface- this close to the  _ humans. _

If Kirill knew how often he breached the surface just to catch a glimpse of the sailors and dock workers and other random people on shore, he'd never let Valery out of his sight. 

But Valery can't help it.

The sights and sounds of the human world are always new and fascinating. Valery could sit and watch for hours, days, and always find something new to see, from the kids diving off the docks to the men in white coats who occasionally come down to the rocky shores with mysterious tools. Over the years, he's become able to understand humans somewhat. He doesn't have a perfect grasp of the language, but he knows enough to understand small conversations. He also knows when it's time to leave, based on their body language and the amount of fishermen readying boats.

In all the years he's been coming to the surface, he's only had one close call, and that was when he was around ten years old and fell asleep on the sandy beach behind a rock outcropping. When he woke, there was a human boy, probably not much older than himself, watching him sleep with wide eyes. In hindsight, Valery knows that the expression on his face had been one of unbridled fascination, but at the time, Valery had been terrified. He had panicked and tried to get back into the ocean as quickly as possible and ended up nicking his tail on some of the sharper rocks. It knocked a couple baby scales off and hurt a fair bit, but it didn't cause any real damage. 

He didn't go back to the surface for a few days after that, and even when he did, he stayed as far away from that small area as possible, just in case. It's been nearly twenty years since then, though, and Valery has learned what spots are safe and what spots aren't. 

He's a pro at this. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Until it does.

Valery had no idea they would be sweeping the areas further inland for trash.  _ Huge _ nets are being dragged behind boats as they sail towards port, scooping up most of the trash and stirring up clouds of sand and other small pieces of trash that can't be caught with the nets. With all the dirt and trash bits mucking up the water, it's hard for Valery to navigate the waters properly. 

He's just decided to give up for the day and try again tomorrow when it happens- he gets caught in an old net. 

It's some kind of blue cord with weights attached to the bottom, but it's not connected to anything, so Valery is sure it's an old net that got cut or broken somehow and ended up at the bottom of the ocean. It's annoying, but he's certain he can carefully extract himself. It's not the first time this has happened, after all. But as careful fingers are untangling the ropes around his body, a large shadow passes overhead; a boat. Valery's stomach sinks.

This boat is dragging a net as well, filled with trash and dirt, and it's coming straight for him.

_ Now _ he's panicking.

His claws just aren't cutting through this cord and tug as he might, the net won't budge from where it's hung on the dead tree trunk- there's no way for him to get free! He grits his teeth and shields his face with both his arms, preparing for impact. 

His left side is slammed into a large block shaped object and the ropes around his tail tighten painfully, gouging into his sensitive flesh and ripping an anguished cry from the merman. The tree trunk gets swept up in the net, along with the ropes digging into the flesh of Valery's tail, so thankfully he doesn't have to worry about being ripped apart or anything, but now he has to bare with the pain until the boat stops and he can try and pry the blue cord off of himself. 

He keeps his forearms over his face, trying to protect himself from the rocks and trash being stirred up, but he ends up with more than a few scratches on his arms and cheeks from stray shards of glass and extra sharp rocks. He wonders, not for the first time,  _ why _ humans insist on treating the ocean like a garbage dump.

Finally, the boat is coming to a stop, and Valery hurriedly begins trying to free himself. Being dragged across the ocean floor only clinched the ropes tighter into the flesh and cutting deep into his tail. He grits his teeth against the pain and works furiously at the knots on the bottom of the net, hoping that maybe he can get it separated from the log at least. If he can just swim away from here, even with the net, he has a chance! 

His claws are just managing to cut the thick cords- slowly but surely, he's breaking the net free from the trunk. If he can just get these last few sections-

The boat makes a loud noise and Valery stills, panic setting in when the net begins to close in around him. The humans must be lifting the trash filled net out of the ocean, but he's still stuck in it!! 

The trash is shifting and shoving him against the side of the net, pinching his tail uncomfortably, and Valery cries out again. He claws at the blue cord with renewed vigor, but by the time the last thread is cut, the net is breaking the surface and Valery is gasping in a lungful of "surface air", as Kirill calls it.

Any other day, Valery would relish the burn that first inhale gives you, but today, all it does is fan the flames of his fear. He grips the side of the net tightly, watching his body completely leave the water, watching the huge trash net rise ever higher, and be moved around like it weighs no more than a jellyfish. The net is brought to a stop over one of the fishing boats and is being carefully lowered into a giant hole in the deck when someone sees Valery.

"Oh shit- stop the crane!! Stop!!" The man shouts, waving his arms wildly. Valery's heart hammers in his chest, "Someone's trapped in the net!!" The machine stops with a squeal and three other people run over. They're all shouting, talking over one another, and Valery can't make much sense out of any of it-

"There's always some asshole who goes swimming in the bay even after we put up the signs-"

"Somebody bring some towels-"

"Call the doc in town-"

"Somebody hold the net steady-"

Sharp objects are slicing through the thick cords with ease; knives, if Valery remembers correctly, and hands are tugging on his shoulders, his forearms- and with a grunt, he's free of the nets and landing against the wooden floor with a loud, wet smack.

_ "Holy shit," _ someone breathes. Valery hears that one loud and clear considering the rest of the crew on deck has gone silent. He licks his lips and pushes onto his palms, looking up at the awed and amazed faces above him. "That's a mer," the same man cries. "What do we do with a  _ mer?!" _

Valery swallows, throat bobbing and stomach roiling. _ "Let him go..?" _ he thinks to himself, prays to any deity listening. Another net is thrown over him from behind.

"Call the marine institute!" Someone else shouts and Valery's stomach plummets.

He knew there was no easy way out of this.

\---

He struggles against the brown netting and the hands lifting and tugging him; he screeches at them, and flails wildly, but the humans just shout louder and hold tighter. They toss him into a big metal bucket with wheels and heft him through throngs of people and Valery feels so exposed. He's trembling, fear and adrenaline coursing through his body. He can feel himself drying out quicker than he should be, and that's only making him panic even more.

"What the hell are you doing?!" A woman screeches, startling Valery. He looks around, eyes wide, and finds multiple pairs of eyes watching him. 

"We told you there was a mer at the docks-" one of the men starts-

"So you just decided to cart it up here in a rusty ass wheelbarrow?!" The woman with pink hair shouts. "What kind of  _ idiots-" _

"Deana there's no time for that!" Another woman calls from across the room, "He's injured!"

The woman exhales heavily right hand ruffling through her bright pink hair, irritation clear in the curl of her upper lip. "Shut up! I can see that! But what the hell do we even do with a mermaid?!"

"Putting it in water might be a good start," comes a smooth male voice. "He looks like he's about to pass out."

"Where can we put him? Do we even have an empty tank??"

"Of course we do," the male voice replies. "The one in the back?"

"Oh!" She snaps her fingers, "Derick's tank!"

Valery is being moved again, and he feels like he might faint. His body feels weak and he can't even find the strength to struggle as the brown net surrounding his body is being pulled open and his mostly limp body is hefted into the tank. The cool water is everything Valery's body needed, and his gills begin working overtime, trying to get oxygen to the rest of his body as Valery flaps his tail fins, propelling himself as far down and away as possible- which honestly isn't as far away as he had hoped.

A thick glass wall separates him from the rest of the ocean life he sees swimming around him and he feels his throat tighten. He presses his forehead to the glass, bottom lip trembling.

This is the worst possible turn of events.

He catches sight of the blue netting trailing below him and sighs, a few bubbles escaping parted lips. He's got all the time in the world now; he might as well try and get the netting off.

He hisses through his teeth, bubbles of air trailing past his cheeks, as he tries to remove the blue cord. All the shuffling and being tossed around has caused the ropes to dig even deeper into the flesh of his tail, carving deep, bleeding grooves into the beautiful purple. He manages to loosen the ropes a minute amount, but his body is still too weak to pull the netting off by himself. If he just had one of those knives…

He casts a nervous glance upwards, lips pursed and fists clenched. He's never been as afraid of going near the surface as he is right now- and maybe that's why he's in this predicament. 

Just moving his tail around is painful at this point, but he manages to propel himself up far enough that he can brace his palms on a rock-like platform jutting out from the wall. He slowly lifts his head above water- just his head, and looks around cautiously.

"-get the netting off of it somehow," he hears someone say. "It looked pretty deep; they must be in a lot of pain."

"I don't know the first thing about mermaids," another woman says. Deana, he thinks her name was? "How exactly are we supposed to treat it if it won't let us?"

"We treat unwilling animals all the time." The male voice reasons. 

"Treating animals we've been educated about and treating something straight out of a fairy-tale are two completely different things." 

"Then, what do you suggest?"

"Somebody find Derick!" Deana cries, "He's been waiting for this moment his whole life! Let him deal with it!"

"Deal with what?" A new voice asks.

"Oh Derick! Thank goodness you're here!" 

The group of voices are moving further away and trying to speak over one another, and it's difficult for Valery to catch more than a few words here and there. With a frown, he moves just a tiny bit further up the ramp, hoping to catch a glimpse of the humans who have him confined.

Through the glass wall above ground, he can see a few more high walled areas, probably containing other ocean creatures, and a small group of people. Three women and two men are standing near a set of big white doors, all with varying expressions. Suddenly, the dark skinned man shifts, head turning in Valery's direction, and their eyes meet. 

The merman ducks under the water, heart racing, and immediately pushes away from the stone slab. A small school of fish swim by the outside of his tank and Valery presses his hand to the glass, watching them enviously. His head jerks up when he feels the water shift around him and his heart races faster when he sees bare human feet at the top of the inclined stone slab. He backs up as far as the glass will allow, waiting for the human to move further towards him, but they don't. Long minutes pass, but still the human doesn't move.

Valery can feel the tension in his shoulders beginning to ease as he watches the humans legs and feet, the tiny stumps called "toes" occasionally wiggling in the water. He shouldn't want to get closer; he was trapped in fish netting and hauled ashore. He was thrown around like a common fish and dumped into a glass cage- by all rights, he shouldn't want  _ anything _ to do with the humans.

But Valery can't help wanting to know who's sitting across from him.

His head breaches the surface slowly- only his eyes, first. It's the dark skinned man, sitting at the edge of the enclosure, feet and lower legs completely submerged in the cool water. The man seems to  _ glow _ when their eyes meet again and Valery's seen that look of excitement before, usually on the faces of young children running along the beaches and finding shells. The man looks like he's just found the most beautiful shell in the world.

"Hi there," he says softly, probably trying not to startle Valery. "My name is Derick. I'm a marine biologist here at Seven Oceans. We're a government research facility, but we also specialize in helping marine animals who have been injured." Valery has no idea what a "marine biologist" is, nor what a "government research facility" is, but he does know what "helping marine animals" means. 

"My friends told me that you got caught in some fishing line and are hurt pretty badly," he continues, eyebrows drawn in concern. "Would it be alright if I looked at it?"

"Oh for crying out loud," Valery startles at Deana's voice. "Derick, he can't understand that!" Derick's eyes never leave Valery's, his soft smile never wavers.

"You'd be surprised what he could probably understand." Derick replies. Deana continues talking, but Valery isn't listening anymore. This human, this  _ Derick… _ he doesn't seem like the other humans. He's patient and kind, and Valery… Valery wants to trust him. 

Everyone falls silent as Valery swims a few feet forward before carefully lifting his tail for the man to look at. Valery isn't close enough to touch, but he should be close enough for Derick to see without much trouble. Derick frowns and gives a low hum as he takes in all the damage caused by the fishing net.

"Those are some very deep gouges," he murmurs. "Kay, can you ready the water treatment?" 

"Already on it," a young woman with brown hair calls as she jogs away from the enclosure. Valery feels a little anxious, but Derick's soothing presence is helping him stay calm, even from halfway across the tank. 

"We really need to get that net off of you before your tail tries to heal around it," Derick tells him. He fishes around in his pocket for a moment before pulling out a small pocket knife. Valery drops his tail back down beneath the surface again, face pinched, and Derick huffs a small laugh. "Should have seen that coming."

Valery knows he won't be able to get the net off with just his own claws… but as much as he wants to trust this human, this Derick, he's only known him for a minute. He's not about to risk his life just because of some misplaced trust. He holds his hand above water instead, palm up. Derick stares at his hand for a moment, eyes tracing over the lilac webbing, before meeting Valery's eyes once more.

"Have you ever used a knife before?" He asks. Valery pauses, wondering if a sharpened shard of glass counts as a knife. He nods, a little hesitantly, and Derick nods as well, taking Valery at his word. He extends his own arm towards the merman and Valery slowly swims forward, just far enough for Derick to lay the opened knife in Valery's hand.

It's a little heavier than glass but lighter than the sharpened rocks Valery has used, but he grasps it the same and with a quick glance at Derick he sinks below the surface once more. 

He flips the knife around in his hand, taking a moment to admire humans' craftsmanship. The blade is small but incredibly sharp, and the little wooden handle is decorated with small golden swirls. Valery traces a finger over the gold carvings before taking a deep breath and leaning down to cut away the blue netting.

The knife makes things much easier. The metal pinches a bit when he slides it under the ropes digging into his tail, but the relief he feels when they finally snap and give him room to move his tail freely is worth the small amount of pain. He lets out a relieved exhale when all the rope finally falls to the bottom of his enclosure and gives his tail a few test wiggles. It's definitely sore, but there shouldn't be any lasting damage, he thinks, running his fingers over the purple scales. 

His side is a bit bruised up, as well as his arms and chest, but they don't feel like anything serious. With any luck, they'll heal up in a couple days. 

He stares at the blue rope for a long moment before swimming down to grab it and dragging it to the surface with him. Derick smiles brightly when he sees Valery breach the surface.

"Did you get it?" He asks. Valery throws the netting up beside him instead of responding. Derick laughs. "I guess so."

Valery swims forward and extends his arm, knife held carefully in his palm and Derick's smile softens when he leans in closer to grab it. The fingers that brush his palm are warm and a little damp, and Valery quickly pushes away from the stone slab, unwilling to stay close to the human. He doesn't dive back under the water, though. He keeps his shoulders above water and looks around at the group of people surrounding the glass panel around the tank.

"Isn't this good for you Derick?" Deana grins at him, a mischievous lilt to her voice, "You finally found a mermaid to put in your tank."

"Shut up, Deana," Derick frowns at her, cheeks ruddy. A half dressed man with brown hair huffs a laugh beside her.

"Who knew all your fanatic rambling would prove to be true?" 

"You guys are the worst friends I've ever had," Derick grumbles. 

The blond woman laughs, "Now, now," she rests a hand on Derick's shoulder, "you were right and that's all that matters. No one can argue the fact that mermaids are real with this." She motions at Valery with a friendly smile. 

"I brought the treatment!" The brunette- Kay- calls, lugging a huge bucket towards the group. Derick turns to Valery again, smiling as soon as their eyes meet. 

"We're going to put some medicine in the water to help treat those cuts on your body. It might tickle a bit at first, but it'll help you heal up quickly and make sure you don't get an infection."

Valery's eyes flick back and forth from Derick to the blue powder that's being upended into his enclosure, anxious. Pouring chemicals in the water? He's seen humans do it before and it always leaves the water unlivable. How is this supposed to "help" him? 

The powder dissolves quickly, thankfully not leaving a film across the top of the water or changing the viscosity any, so Valery gradually relaxes.

Until his tail begins to sting.

Valery frowns at the surface of the water and wiggles his tail, trying to shake off the feeling, but the tingling and stinging persists.

"Looks like he's feeling it," the blond woman says. Derick huffs a soft laugh when Valery glares at him, shoulders stiff with tension again.

"Sorry. But, it's not that bad, right? This will have you healed up within a few days-"

Valery dives beneath the surface, ignoring the rest of the human's words and settling at the bottom of the tank. He doesn't need any more lies, thank you very much. A small puffer fish nudges the outside of the glass and Valery smiles at him softly, fingers brushing over the glass in front of him.

How's he supposed to get out of  _ this _ mess?

\---

He waits at the bottom of the tank for a long time, until well after the ocean has gone dark and the sun's warmth no longer reaches him before he breaches the surface again. The humans are gone and most of the lights around the building are turned off as well. With no one around, he doesn't mind hefting himself onto the stone slab to get a better look around.

Valery can see a couple other glass walled enclosures like his own, but he's not sure if they house any other animals. The big white doors to the huge building are closed. Beyond the glass enclosures, past a large fence, Valery thinks he can just make out the ocean. 

It's so close, yet still so far away.

He takes a moment to look over his scars in the moonlight, fingers trailing gently over the slowly healing cuts in his tail but the sound of the doors behind him opening startles him. He slips back into the water, leaving only his head above the surface, and waits.

It's Derick. 

"Sorry," he says, once he's closer to the enclosure. "I didn't mean to scare you." He takes a seat on the edge of the enclosure, a large white bucket next to him, and Valery stiffens, suspicious. More blue powder?

"You must be hungry, but I wasn't sure what you'd eat," Derick says, reaching into the bucket. He pulls out a large clam and sets it on the cement incline in front of him. Valery eyes it for a moment before looking back up at Derick as he continues talking while rummaging through the bucket. "I brought clams and oysters, and a few smaller fish- but if none of that sounds appealing, I can try maybe squid or octopus tomorrow? Or, maybe you prefer seaweed? Krill and shrimp?" 

He continues placing oysters and clams and the fish he brought for Valery on the incline and Valery feels his stomach rumble. He licks his lips and floats just a bit closer. Now that he's thinking about it, he's  _ starving. _ He hasn't eaten since the sun was just beginning to rise and now that his fear is beginning to abate, his hunger is coming back with a passion. Derick stops talking when he notices Valery inching forward and remains motionless, in an effort not to startle him, Valery assumes.

The merman takes one of the clams from the stone and gives it a once over before smacking the edge of it against the rock a couple times to break the edge open. He slides his claws into the small gap he made and pries it open the rest of the way with a small sigh of anticipation.

He eats voraciously, ignoring Derick's presence entirely, and Derick seems content to just watch him slurp clams and rip fish apart with his claws and sharp teeth. He doesn't see why, but he's not gonna complain as long as the man keeps setting out food. 

Finally, when he's had more than his fill of the clams and oysters, Valery exhales heavily and pushes away from the stone slab to float across the surface on his back, content. 

"Was that enough? Are you full?" Derick asks. Valery stretches his arms above his head languidly and Derick laughs. "I guess so."

Valery floats around in silence for a few minutes, eyes closed, but he can still feel the weight of Derick's eyes on him. The man is fully clothed this time, unlike earlier when he only wore bottoms, but his expression is still as open and full of awe as he was hours ago.

Valery opens his eyes to watch Derick's eyes rove over his body as he lets himself float closer, staying just far enough away that Derick can't reach him without getting wet himself, and he lets himself look as well. He's never been this close to a human before, barring the incident as a young mer, always watching from shadowed areas and never daring to get too close lest he be discovered.

Well, Valery muses, he's definitely been discovered now. But, he could be in a much worse situation.

"Your scales are beautiful," Derick murmurs, startling Valery back to awareness. "Your hair and webbing as well- I thought so earlier when I saw you in the sunlight, but…" Derick's eyes find his, "in the moonlight, they're even more breathtaking."

Well that's not fair, Valery decides, pursing his lips; his heart skipped a few beats at that. How's he supposed to stay away from the human if he talks so softly and compliments him like that?

"I'm sorry you ended up getting hurt so badly," Derick continues, voice taking on a sad note. "A lot of humans treat the ocean like a dumpster and the sea life suffers for it. Other humans try to make up for it and clean it up, but the damage happens so quickly- and so much is irreversible-" Valery knows. He's seen some of the damaged areas firsthand.

But he's also witnessed the cleanup efforts of hundreds, if not thousands, of humans over the years. He knows they're not  _ all _ bad. 

He knows Derick's not a bad person either.

He can  _ feel _ it.

Derick's breath catches when Valery hefts himself out of the water and up onto the stone, only an arm's length away. They stare at each other for a long moment before Valery holds his hand out, palm up. If he's gonna be trapped here, he might as well satisfy some of his own curiosities, after all. Derick stares at his hand a moment longer.

"Oh!" He sits up straighter, reaching for the bucket of food, "You were still hungry! You enjoyed the clams, do you-" Valery chirps, making Derick freeze in place. 

Valery's never tried using human words. He's sure they must have similar vocal cords, but underwater, that doesn't matter. Mer language is similar to most other sea animals in that it's comprised of mostly clicks and chirps. He reaches out further, palms still facing upward. He watches Derick's throat bob as he swallows and sets the bucket back down before slowly extending his own hand. 

Valery takes Derick's hand in both of his own and looks closely at his hand. They're so similar in structure, minus the webbing between his own hands and the small fins on his forearms. Derick's skin is smooth and covered in fine hairs, Valery notes. He presses their palms together and lines their fingers up as well, smiling when he finds that though Derick's fingers are a bit wider, they're the same length. 

"Can I take this… to mean that you trust me?" Derick asks quietly, small smile on his lips. Valery separates their hands but his smile remains, even as he gives a small nod.

\---

"Did you name them yet?" Kay asks, peeking into Derick's office. She knows how much Derick enjoys picking names for the sea creatures that come through their institute. The man looks up from the mess of papers in front of him with a bright smile.

"Milla."

"You look like shit," Deana scoffs, entering Derick's office like it's her own and flopping across his soft black couch. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"A few hours," Derick replies, pen still in motion. He scratches out a few things before shuffling papers and making notes on another. "I've been redoing my notes on mermaids- taking out things that are incorrect, adding new hypotheses-"

"And you've been doing that all night?" Deana frowns at him.

"No. No, for a while I was talking with Milla-"

_ "It speaks?" _ Deana sits up straighter, eyes wide, and Kay steps fully into the office, surprise written all over her face.

"I mean," Derick pauses, running a hand through his hair, "not in so many words- mostly clicks and these cute little chirps," he grins staring at the papers on his desk. "He understands human language, though. And he's very inquisitive."

"How fascinating!" Kay says, clapping her hands together. "I'm so excited for you, Derick! You've been researching mermaids your whole life- this must be like Christmas for you!"

"It's like every Christmas and birthday I've ever had wrapped into one," Derick laughs, leaning back in his chair.

"Have you fed your "dream come true" yet?" Deana teases, rising from the couch. "Or any of the other creatures you're responsible for? It's already eight."

"Haaah," Derick sighs, pushing his chair away from his desk, "I haven't. I'll make my rounds now." He grabs a small vitamin jelly pouch off his desk and cracks the lid off as he follows the two women out of his office and into the main area. Most of the walls are aquariums full of a wide variety of fish and other sea life, and a few tanks sit in the center of the room with creatures in them. Max is currently elbow deep in a tank housing a couple injured eel as Yuri takes notes beside her.

Doug exits the changing room in a wetsuit, a large blue bucket in his hand, and Derick jogs across the room to catch up with him before he exits the back doors. The back half of the institute is where the bigger animals live; seals, dolphins, sting rays- and now a mermaid. Well, merman, maybe? Derick isn't 100% on their anatomy yet.

Other than the small enclosure that Milla currently resides in, there are four other enclosures that are out towards the edges of the area. Those four enclosures are different from Milla's in the fact that they all have a large, metal gate that can be raised and lowered, allowing the animals to be released back into the ocean without a struggle. Milla's enclosure had been a design fail, but Travis kept the tank full and clean anyways, just in case they needed it for something. Derick smiles when he sees Milla's head breach the surface.

He's never been more glad that Travis kept this tank than he is right now.

\---

"Good morning, Milla!" 

Very tilts his head, confused, but smiles at the man anyways. Milla?

Derick kneels down in front of the tank, smile on his face and clam in his hands. "Did you get any rest last night?" Valery nods, taking the offered clam from Derick. Derick's smile widens. "That's great. How is your tail feeling today?" Valery leans back, allowing his tail to surface, and Derick hums to himself as he looks over the cuts. There's not much difference on the surface, that Valery can see anyways, but his tail and side don't hurt as badly when he swims.

"It looks like it'll take a while to heal, but it should make a full recovery," Derick nods to himself. Valery submerges his tail as the other man, Doug, Derick had called him, comes closer to the tank.

"How's he doing? It's a he, right?" Doug gives him a once over, "I'm assuming, based on the lack of breasts." Derick rolls his eyes and rises to his feet.

"I haven't checked his anatomy, Doug. He's only just let me touch his hand." Derick deadpans. Doug shrugs, lips quirked up teasingly.

"I don't know what you two got up to last night." 

"His tail is healing," Derick ignores Doug's last comment and grabs the pail beside him. Doug huffs a laugh and takes one of the fish out of the bucket before kneeling beside Valery's enclosure.

"It's nice to meet you, Milla." He greets politely. Apparently, they've decided to call him Milla? It's a name as nice as any other, Valery guess. He gives Doug a polite smile and dips his head in greeting before carefully taking the fish from Doug. "So you  _ do _ understand human speech." Doug smiles, folding his arms on top of his knees. Valery holds his forefinger and thumb up, a small space between them, and Doug laughs. "Only a little? You're doing better than many actual humans, you know. The accommodations aren't the best, but I hope you don't mind it here too much." Doug pushes to his feet.

"Are you going in with Connie again?" Derick asks. Doug nods, stretching his arms across his chest. 

"Yeah. She should be giving birth any day now." 

The two men continue talking at the edge of the enclosure, not paying Valery much attention, so he brings the fish up to his mouth and takes a large bite out of the side, razor sharp teeth piercing through fins, bones, and all. The fish isn't the freshest, but it's not bad, and Valery needs to keep his energy up. He eats everything but the head and fins, tossing them up onto the stone area so Derick can take them away. When he looks up at the humans, Derick and Doug are both watching him; Derick with the same awe and fascination as last night and Doug with awe and a little disgust. Valery tilts his head curiously as he licks away the blood from his hands.

"I don't think I could ever get used to watching that.” he mumbles, shaking his head slowly. Derick laughs and kneels down to pull out the discarded fish bits. 

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Milla’s teeth are so sharp they tear through anything, but they’re not jagged like a shark’s teeth, and they don’t have multiple rows of teeth- Milla, would you mind opening your mouth again for me, please?” 

It’s the oddest request, but if Derick wants to see his teeth…

Valery dutifully opens his mouth and angles his head so that the two men can peer into it. He’s really not sure what Derick’s fascination with his mouth is but Derick is pointing and rambling excitedly as Doug nods along, like he understands all these new words that Valery doesn’t. What’s so interesting about seeing the inside of his mouth anyways?

“Thank you! You can close your mouth now!” Valery does so and ducks his head underwater, moistening his upper gills and hair again, before popping his head above the surface once more. Derick is still kneeling in front of him but Doug has turned to walk away from the enclosure. Valery smiles and takes the fish that Derick offers him and sinks his teeth into the meaty belly. “I need to check on the rest of the animals,” Derick sighs, “so I won’t be able to sit here with you until this evening. But, I’ll be around, so if you get hungry or need anything, just call out. I’ll rush right over.” Valery nods and smiles, even as he feels fish blood running down his chin, making Derick laugh.

\---

It’s lonelier than he thought it would be, not having Derick to talk to. 

The other people in the facility come by to look at him occasionally as he lounges around, but he doesn't let them get too close. Derick might think they're good people, but Valery doesn't know them. Kay seems friendly enough, but Valery slipped back into the safety of the water when she got more than ten foot away. Kay had laughed, looking a little sheepish.

“I guess I can’t expect you to be friends with me overnight, huh?” Valery had offered her a small smile before diving under the water and swimming a few laps. The pool is a decent size, but it’s not even a fraction of the space he’d had out in the ocean; it feels too cramped and closed in, and he misses Kirill terribly. The younger mer must be worried sick since he didn’t come home last night. Valery wishes he had a way to tell Kirill that he’s alive. He’s not “okay”, but he’s not dead.

Derick is beside the enclosure when he surfaces, and according to the positioning of the sun, he's been underwater for quite a few hours. “There you are,” Derick greets, laying on his stomach on the warm cement. The sun has moved behind the building, casting a shadow over some of the outdoor area, including about half of Valery’s enclosure, and the cement is warm, but not scalding like it had been midday. He hefts himself out of the water to sit near Derick, making sure to keep five or so feet between them, and lets out a small sigh. He swishes his tail in the shallow waters, watching the deep violet fins sway and bob and the cuts on his tail open and close as he wiggles. They don’t hurt anymore, at least.

Fingers brush his hip and Valery startles, looking down to find Derick’s fingers brushing over the area where his “human torso” becomes scales. Derick had quietly inched closer while Valery was distracted, but he remains still now, meeting Valery’s eyes. The merman doesn’t break eye contact either and remains stiff, torn between allowing Derick to run his rough fingers over his tail or diving into the water and hiding for the rest of the afternoon. 

Derick remains still though, his endless patience showing, and Valery gradually relaxes. When his shoulders drop back into a relaxed position, Derick smiles.

“May I touch your tail?” he asks quietly. Valery scoffs and shakes his head before looking away. Of course he would ask  _ after _ the fact. Derick laughs. “Is that a no..?” Derick laughs at Valery’s pursed lips and pinched eyebrows as he removes his hand and crawls closer. “I’m sorry,” he laughs, “If you really don’t want me to touch it, I won't.”

Valery sighs softly; he knows Derick means it. When he looks down at the human, Derick’s brown eyes are sparkling with mischief, lips curled up in a soft smile, and Valery is beginning to think maybe  _ Derick _ is the dangerous one here. He just can’t manage to say  _ no _ to him.

He takes Derick’s large hand in his own and sets it onto the small lilac scales on his hip, giving the man permission to touch freely. And touch freely Derick does.

His hand glides over the smooth scales, eyes following the movement and lips moving as he murmurs to himself quietly, “-like fish, but not quite-”. The way Derick focuses completely on only one thing at a time is adorable, he decides, smiling. Valery rolls away onto his stomach, and pillows his head on his hands as he looks up at Derick, giving his dorsal fin a small shake. Derick seems to understand and moves closer to run his fingers over the thin skin that runs between the bony spines and the scales along his backside. Valery closes his eyes and lifts his tail fin up out of the water, listening to the water cascade off of the heavy folds and allowing Derick a chance to admire it. “Definitely more beautiful in person,” he hears Derick whisper, and Valery has to hide a smug smile in the crook of his elbow;  _ of course _ real merpeople are far more pretty in person. The drawing he showed him of what humans imagined merpeople to look like last night looked so  _ bland _ in comparison to all the mers he’s ever known. 

There are merfolk of all colors in his pod, with all manner of tails and fins, and not one mer looks identical to another, even if they may have similar markings or coloring. Humans seem to think they all fit into one or two images, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Derick’s hands begin roaming back up, gliding over sun warmed skin, carefully pressing into Valery’s skin and cataloging his anatomy. 

“So from the waist up, you’re pretty much human,” he muses, fingers sliding through Valery’s wet hair, brushing it out of the way, “minus the gills and- ears? Ear frills?” he laughs when Valery shrugs, unsure of what differences there are between the two of them beneath the surface. "You're right- it's my job to figure that out."

The big white doors open with a clank and Derick retracts his hand as Valery lifts up onto his palms, immediately on alert. It's only Doug though, and Valery only allows him to come closer without submerging himself in the pool behind him because he recognizes the large white pail in his hands.

"Well aren't you two chummy," Doug asks, sitting down on the pavement a few feet away from Valery and Derick. "All those stories about meeting mermaids I sent you really helped, huh?" Derick rolls his eyes and drags the white bucket closer to himself.

"Have you and Deana really got nothing better to do than poke fun at my expense?" Valery frowns in confusion, even as he pushes up into a sitting position and takes the fish Derick offers him.

Books about meeting mermaids..? Is he… not the first mer this has happened to..?

"Travis will be back from his conference tomorrow and he's gonna flip when he finds out," Doug nods his head at Valery. Derick rubs the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish.

"You think he'll help keep Milla a secret?" Doug's teasing expression falls away as he sighs.

"Not a chance."

\---

"I go away for three days and you discover a  _ mermaid!" _ The man in the white suit cries, throwing his arms out wide. Valery scoots further away from the edge, watching him carefully.  _ "Marvelous!!" _

"You're freaking him out, Travis! Stop being so dramatic!” Deana shouts, elbowing the man in his side. He grunts and grabs his side. 

“I’m simply marveling over the  _ wonders of nature,” _ Travis rubs at his sore spot. “After all, the first mermaid in  _ history _ is currently in our possession!”

“He’s not in our possession,” Derick corrects, looking uncomfortable. “He’s just like any other wounded sea creature here. Once he’s well again, we’ll release him back into-”

  
_ “Release him?”  _ Travis cries. “Derick, this is  _ ground breaking! _ If you were to publish your findings, you would be the leading expert in this field! Our facility would receive unlimited funding- no one could dispute your research with physical evidence  _ right here-” _

“Travis, please” Derick pleads, “promise you won’t say anything to anyone.”

_ “Derick-” _

“You know what they do to new species,” Derick says lowly, and Valery swallows hard, stomach roiling. Something about how desperately Derick is trying to convince Travis not to tell anyone about him is making Valery more nervous than he already was. Travis sighs, hands coming up to slide over his slick looking black hair.

"Alright. If that's really what you want, I'll keep quiet about it. But he'll have to be released before the end of the month. You know the higher ups do monthly visits-"

"Of course!" Derick agrees quickly, "He'll be gone long before then! He's healing quickly- I'm sure another week will be plenty of time."

"It's really such a shame to let such a beautiful creature leave so quickly," Travis sighs, staring at Valery once more. 

"The  _ real _ shame would be letting him get dissected," Max frowns. "Derick is right; there are some things that the brass just don't need to know, and the existence of mermaids is one of them."

They move away from the tank as they talk, everyone but Derick, that is, and once they've moved far enough away from the enclosure, Valery swims forward as Derick kneels beside the edge. He smiles, relieved, and brushes a stray lock of Valery's hair behind his ear when the mer is close enough. 

"I'm glad that's settled," he says quietly, for Valery's ears only. "I'm glad you'll be returning to the ocean, but it kind of makes me sad as well," Derick huffs a laugh and Valery feels the same way. Knowing he'll be free to return home makes his heart race, but knowing he won't ever see Derick again…

Derick pushes to his feet. "Well, I've got to make the rounds. I'll be back in a few hours!" 

Derick is such a good human. He cares for the ocean and all of its marine life. It's only been two days, but thinking about leaving Derick behind makes something in Valery's chest ache.

\---

Derick meant it when he said he didn't want the existence of mermaids to become public knowledge. Maybe at one point, during his younger days, he would have liked the fame and recognition that came with being the first person to discover a new species, but after working in the field this long, he knows better.

Valery would be poked and prodded and tested until the researchers were satisfied with their findings. They'd hold him down if necessary, and Derick wouldn't be surprised if they drugged the mer. Expeditions and research trips would be launched left and right and every fisherman out there would be trying to catch one.

The Merfolk would never be able to swim in peace again. The entire ocean would be disrupted and damaged even further.

No. No one else needs to know that Merfolk exist. Derick is going to make sure of that. 

\---

"Would it be alright if I sketched you?" Derick asks once he's set out Valery's midday meal. Valery tips his head, confused. Sketch? He doesn't think he's heard that word before. Derick must understand his confusion because his smile widens as he opens the book in his hand and turns it around to show the Merman the contents. "Sketching is drawing pictures of things. I'll use these pencils here and draw a picture of you in this book."

Valery sets the clam in his hand down and moves closer to stare at the drawing of a dolphin in awe. The drawing looks so real- Valery brings his fingers up to carefully touch the edge, and a droplet of water slides down the side of the picture, blurring some of the picture as it goes. Valery's eyes widen, hands flying away in a panic- he's ruined it!! 

"It's alright!" Derick quickly assures, using his shirt to dab the water droplet dry, "It's okay! I'm not upset! Part of the risk of sketching by the water is water damage!" He assures, still smiling. Valery still feels bad, so he keeps his hands to himself as Derick turns the pages, showing him his drawings one by one.

Derick's drawings are beautiful. Everything on the pages looks like a moment captured in time, full of life even as it sits unmoving on the paper. And Derick wants to draw  _ him _ like that? 

Valery can't even say how honored he'd be to have Derick "sketch" him. Instead of saying anything, he pushes Derick's pencil case closer to the man as he smiles. 

\---

Even though he doesn't have much space and he misses the ocean terribly, being in this small, enclosed space isn't so awful. The food is decent, and with Derick to talk to, the days pass quickly. A week passes in the blink of an eye, and Valery's cuts are almost completely healed.

"Mers heal at faster speeds than normal marine life; noted," Derick talks to himself as he sits beside Valery and writes in his notebook. Valery peers over his shoulder occasionally, but he can't read any of it, so he sticks to just watching and humming along, like he understands.

Valery squints up at the sky, frown tugging at the corner of his lips when he notices the grey storm clouds beginning to roll in. The smell of ozone makes his nose itchy, makes him want to hide below the surface and watch the heavy raindrops as they begin to pelt the waves and feel the currents as they grow distressed.

The doors to the building slam open and Valery jolts, just managing to suppress the urge to dive into the water in front of him. The familiar head of pink hair has him sighing, because Deana always slams the door so viciously-

_ "Derick!" _ Her voice is hushed and sharp, and Valery immediately tenses. Something isn't right…

Derick seems to understand that too, because he's on his feet in an instant. "What's wrong?"

"The higher ups are here." She clenches her fists at her sides and Valery's stomach sinks.

"Scheduled inspection is still a week out-!"

"Someone from town reported Valery," Doug cuts Derick's protesting short. "Travis and Apple are trying to keep them distracted but it's not gonna last long. We gotta get Milla out of here.  _ Now." _

"How??" Derick's eyes flit around the open area, "We can't use the machinery, the wheelbarrow is out front-"

"You'll have to carry him, dumbass!" Deana hisses. "Quickly!"

Valery's heart is in his throat. Derick had explained a few days ago about "higher ups" and how they kept an eye on everything their facility did. He'd also assured Valery that he wouldn't let them find out about him, but now the higher ups are here-

"Milla," Derick is kneeling in front of him, determined expression on his face, "I'm going to get you out of here. I promise. But I need you to trust me. Do you trust me?" Valery swallows hard and gives a jerky nod. 

For better or worse, he trusts Derick. He has since the day he met him. Trusting a human might be the biggest mistake of his life, but so be it.

Derick's muscles aren't just for show, it seems, because he lifts Valery's upper body with ease. Doug is right behind him, supporting Valery's heavy tail fin, and Deana helps guide them past the other tanks and to the edge of the platform. Derick and Doug are breathing heavily after they finally manage to get Valery to the edge of the platform. Deana easily pries back the wire fencing, making a hole large enough for Valery to slip through and back into the ocean for the first time in days. 

Valery was right. 

Being in that tank was  _ nothing _ like being in the actual ocean. When his head breaches the surface, he finds Deana cursing under her breath and twisting the metal strands of the fence back together. Derick is kneeling at the fence, smile soft and a little sad, and Valery can't help feeling sad as well. He's waited for days to be able to leave, but in the week he stayed here, Derick was… Derick became someone important. 

He stretches up and grabs the fence, uncaring of the chilled metal digging into the delicate webbing between his fingers and chirps. Derick's smile widens and he laces his fingers through the holes in the fencing as well, right next to Valery's. 

"I'll be fine," Derick assures him. "I promise." Valery wants to protest- "higher ups" seem pretty terrifying- but something hanging around Derick's neck catches his eye when the human shifts, and Valery frowns. Was that..?

"Ah," Derick notices where Valery's attention is fixated and pulls the black cord out of his shirt to show Valery. "I never showed you these, did I?" He murmurs, mostly to himself. When Valery sees the small purple scales at the end of the black cord, his eyes widen. 

Those- those are his baby scales! 

"I found a mer when I was just a boy," Derick's eyes are locked on Valery. "I was running away from stuff I didn't want to deal with, so I went and hid in an outcropping of rocks along the beach."

"We don't have time for your sad backstory!" Deana hisses, curling the last fence piece back into place, "it's a miracle we haven't been caught yet!"

"There was a mer there," Derick continues, ignoring Deana completely. "I'd seen fish of all kinds growing up in a port town… But I'd never seen anything quite as beautiful as that mer." Valery swallows and grips the fence tighter. "I didn't mean to frighten them, but when they woke up and saw me, they panicked. They lost a few scales on the rocks and I know the waves would have washed them away… but I couldn't bear to leave them there. I came back to that outcropping every day for weeks, but the mer never returned."

Valery swallows again, tongue flicking out to moisten his lips. He's never tried to speak before, but-

"Der-rick," his voice cracks, and it doesn't sound nearly as natural as the humans, but his one broken word has Deana and Doug whirling around to gawk at him and it makes Derick's eyes widen- "Der-rick-" Valery repeats, trying to put his thoughts into actual words-

The door opens across the facility and Derick's smile falls.

"Go," he whispers urgently, taking his hand away from the fence. Valery hesitates. There's so much more he needs to say now- now that he knows it was Derick who found him- who held onto his baby scales all these years- who sat with him and talked with him and fed him and- "hurry!" 

Valery lets go of the fence and quietly dives below the surface, swimming as far down and away as possible. 

He won’t look back.

He can't.

\---

Kirill won't let Valery out of his sight now. 

The younger mer had clutched Valery so tight he thought his ribs might break when he made it back to their underwater cave. "Where have you been?! I've been looking everywhere for you!! Do you know how worried I was?!" 

Once Valery explained what had happened, Kirill was adamant that they tell the rest of the pod and flee the area.

"Please don't," Valery begged. "They were good to me- they didn't purposely trap me- they helped me and set me free-"

_ "They imprisoned you-!" _

"But only for a few days!" Valery interjected, desperate, "They fed me and tended to my wounds and I-" he swallows, "I trust them. Please- don't stir panic up in the pod just because of my blunder." Kirill had reluctantly agreed to not tell the other mers, but only if Valery  _ promised _ not to return to the surface.

Valery swore on his life that he wouldn't return to the surface- and this time, he meant it. 

If he were to go back, he wouldn't just be putting his own life at risk- he'd be risking the lives of his fellow merfolk, and possibly even the kind humans from the center. He'd be wasting Derick's kindness-

_ Derick. _

Every time the man crosses his thoughts, Valery can't help but feel an ache in his heart. He shouldn't dwell on the memories of his time there; though he was treated kindly, he  _ was _ technically a captive. He only knew the man for a week anyways- he shouldn't be this hung up on him!

But Valery can't stop thinking about Derick's voice, low and rich, talking about anything and everything, teaching Valery things he'd never even thought of learning. Derick's hands, so large and rough yet so gentle and kind. Derick's eyes, always so filled with wonder and amazement, always glittering when he looked upon Valery. Derick's beautiful smile-

Valery shakes his head, burrowing further into the soft patch of seaweed below him and closer to his sleeping brother. 

He needs to forget about it. About Derick, about the human world; he needs to let it all go. He's a mer, and Derick is a human. They're from two completely different worlds.

No matter how Derick might make his heart sing, there's nothing at all Valery can do about it.

\---

Something is wrong with Valery.

Kirill isn't sure what exactly, but he can tell; he knows his older brother better than anyone. It started not long after Valery came back from his time with the humans, and Kirill is anxious, worried that maybe they've poisoned him somehow. Valery swears they were nothing but good to him, but they're humans. Kirill has seen first hand the damage that humans can cause- the slick black stuff in the water, the trash and bodies- they don't care about what they're doing to the water, let alone to the  _ creatures _ who  _ live _ in the ocean!

What if they really  _ did _ manage to poison Valery??

He's been sluggish as of late- not wanting to swim much, and sleeping more often through the days. Valery had always been the one going off exploring, but now he just seems to want to sleep. His skin isn't as tanned anymore either, instead taking on a sickly grey tint. Sure, not breaching the surface every day would have him paling, but not to  _ this _ extent. It would have his skin looking so… translucent.

Something is very wrong.

Valery insists that he's fine though, and refuses to swim out to the healer's cave. Kirill fears that Valery wouldn't have the energy to swim that far anyways. For a few days, Valery doesn't get any worse- but he doesn't get any better, either. 

Then one morning, Kirill can't get Valery to wake up. He calls him and shakes him, even slaps his cheeks a bit, but Valery won't budge. 

Kirill panics.

He swims to the healer's cave faster than he's ever swam in his life and begs her to come with him- begs her to  _ save Valery! _

When they make it back to the seaweed beds, Valery is sitting up, rubbing his eyes and yawning, and Kirill feels both relieved and terrified- Valery's color has worsened. Even the coloring of his tail fin now pales in comparison to the beautiful, vibrant shades of purple it had been just weeks ago. 

"Oh Neptune," the healer murmurs beside him, her own eyes wide and mouth agape. "This… this doesn't bode well…"

"Please," Kirill begs, clasping both her hands in his, "please- you have to help him! I-I think he was poisoned! He was captured by humans and they-"

"Kirill," Valery's voice and body may be weak but his glare isn't, "I wasn't  _ poisoned-" _

_ "Look at yourself!" _ Kirill shrieks, causing Valery to wince. "You've been deteriorating since you came back from the surface! You hardly eat, you sleep constantly- your scales are falling off, Val! You're  _ sick! _ Something is  _ wrong!" _

Valery doesn't say anything else, eyes finding the ocean floor suddenly very interesting, and Kirill grits his teeth as the healer moves closer to examine the elder mer. She checks him from head to tail fin, leaving no detail un-noted, before backing up a few spaces and frowning to herself as she thinks.

"And this began after being captured by the humans?" At Valery's nod, she tips her head to the side, curiously. "You don't believe they poisoned you, though. What were the humans who captured you like?"

"It was an accident," Valery sighs, bubbles of air tickling his lips with his exhalation, "I got caught in some fishing line and the fisherman hauled me ashore. They took me to a marine life institute, where there were lots of other fish and ocean life, and they nursed me back to health. I was fed and taken care of- they, Derick- he talked to me every day, for hours at a time. He would… he would sit beside my tank and read his paperwork to me, or "sketch" me, or just… Sit there…" Valery trails off, lost in thought, and the healer nods slowly.

"So… they were good to you- this "Derick"?"

"Very," Valery agrees immediately.

"And you'd say that you care for him?"

"I… I would…" Valery answers a little more hesitant this time. The healer's frown deepens.

"I'm afraid I can't fix this," she says quietly. Kirill's stomach sinks.

"Then he  _ was _ poisoned?"

"Not entirely," she tips her head again, "but then again, it may as well be called a poison," she replies cryptically. At Kirill's frown, she continues, "I've only ever heard of this in passing, and I've certainly never seen a case of it before- but it appears that Valery has fallen in love with a human."

_ "What?" _ Valery seems just as surprised as Kirill. 

"That's- that's not possible!" Kirill protests, shaking his head vehemently, "They're not even the same species, its-"

"Love isn't something rational," the healer cuts him off. "It can't be told 'no' and sees past all differences, big or small." Kirill swallows hard. "I'm sure you know the legends," she continues, "about what happens to Merfolk who fall in love with humans."

Unfortunately, Kirill  _ does _ know. Legends say that Merfolk who find themselves in love with a human that doesn't love them back end up dying a slow, painful death as they yearn to be with their loved one. Their gills stop functioning properly, their colors fade away, and they eventually drown, unable to live underwater but not fit to live on land either. Their body rots, just like any other dead carcass under the sea, leaving behind no trace of them or their life, least of all their love. It's a horrible way to die.

To spare anyone from having to suffer like that, most pods of Merfolk stay as far away from humans as possible. Even still, rumors float through the seas once every so often about curious Merfolk who visited the surface, only to fall in love with a human and meet their unfortunate end. And now Valery, his only remaining family, is about to become one of those unfortunate souls-

Kirill doesn't realize how badly his hands are trembling until Valery's steady hands grasp his own. 

"What can I do?" Valery asks the healer. Kirill swallows his nerves and holds Valery's hands tighter.

"Anything," Kirill demands. "I'll do anything to help my brother.  _ Please." _ The healer is quiet for a moment, tail fin shifting lazily with the current as she thinks. 

"It's only hearsay, so I don't know how well it will work, but… there might be a way…"

\---

"This is ridiculous," Kirill hisses, peering out from behind the rocky outcropping, eyeing the men working on the docks. "The things I do for you, Valery, I swear-"

"I really am sorry about all this, Kirill," Kirill sighs and turns to look at his sickly older brother. Valery really does look apologetic; Kirill can't stay mad at him. 

"It's alright," Kirill sighs, sinking back into the water to cup Valery's cheeks. He gives Valery a soft, reassuring smile. "I'd do anything if it meant seeing you alive and happy." Valery smiles and nuzzles against Kirill's hand.

"So," Kirill peers around at the humans again, "you're sure they won't find you in this area? It seems pretty…  _ close." _

"I'll be alright," Valery promises. "I'll stay below the surface until you come back. You remember what I told you, right? About the sandy area and-"

"I remember," Kirill nods, taking the small vial from Valery. "Drink the potion once I'm on the sandy area, then use the steps to go into town and find the building Derick is in." Valery nods 

"The back of the building faced the sunrise, and the tanks were submerged in the ocean; I didn't pay much attention to the location when I left there though- I was in a hurry."

"It's fine," Kirill shrugs him off, lowering himself back into the ocean, "I'll look around and find it myself."

"Remember, we only have two days," Valery reminds, sinking below the surface of the waves as well. “When the moon is full-”

_ “I know,” _ Kirill stresses, trying not to think about the fact that Valery only has two days left to live if he can’t find this Derick. “I’ll find him.” Kirill swears. He gives Valery another tight hug before swimming away. He’ll find Derick, one way or another.

He won’t let Valery die.

\---

Kirill finally manages to find the underwater tanks just after nightfall. 

Valery wasn’t lying when he said the enclosures were pretty big. The mother and baby dolphin in one of the outer tanks seem to have plenty of space to swim around without being cramped. Instead of being completely closed off, the outer “wall” is a large iron gate. Kirill wonders if the gate lifts up and down to allow the animals in and out, but he doesn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on it. He only has one full day left; he has to get on land and find Derick asap.

When he breaches the surface, he’s disappointed to see that there are no “sandy sections” anywhere near the center, only rocky outcroppings. He has to swim quite a ways away to find a flat, mostly secluded area to pull himself up onto. He uncorks the small vial filled with pink liquid that he’s been careful to hang on to as he swam through the ocean and chugs it quickly, not giving himself even a moment to second guess. The pink potion has an odd aftertaste to it, and makes Kirill’s nose wrinkle as he smacks his lips. Nothing happens at first, and he doesn’t feel any different for a while. He’s just beginning to wonder if maybe the healer gave him the wrong medicine when a sharp pain rips its way through his tail. 

He chokes on a scream, clawed hands flying up to clutch at the gills along his throat- it feels like he’s being burnt alive from the inside out. There’s a searing pain in his gills, his tail, his  _ hands- _ he writhes, back arching off the sandy shore and gasps for air as his vision fills with spots of color. The healer hadn’t mentioned anything about pain like _ this. _

Just when Kirill thinks he’ll pass out from the pain, it wanes. The sharp stinging fades to a dull ache and the fire ripping through his insides begins to die down, not completely disappearing, but becoming something more tolerable. He lays panting in the sand for a long few minutes before trying to put weight on his trembling arms.

He manages to push himself upright into a sitting position, head still swimming from the pain, and his breath catches in his throat when he sees that his tail is actually gone. In its place are two pale human legs, complete with ten little stubs and all. Kirill wiggles them, hissing at the small jolts of pain it sends up his legs. The next thing he notices is that his mating parts are exposed. 

He flushes, covering them with his hands, and his eyebrows furrow in confusion when he can't find the slit to tuck them back into. Do- do humans just walk around with their mating bits  _ exposed?? _ Don't they understand how  _ dangerous _ that is??

Kirill frowns down at his lower half, already missing the soft lilac and rosy pink hue of his scales, but determined to see this through. He has to find Derick.

Kirill grabs a hold of the rocky wall beside him and uses it to help drag himself up onto wobbly legs. He doesn't understand how humans  _ use _ these things- they're so fragile and wobbly! He's certain that they're just gonna snap like fish bones and send him sprawling across the sand, but somehow, even with all the trembling they're doing, they manage to support Krill's weight well enough. 

By the time he makes it to the base of the stone stairs, he's panting, the burning in his legs beginning to flare up again, and he has to collapse onto them to catch his breath. He lifts his head, squinting to see the rounded top of the building he's supposed to be going to, and exhales heavily.

He might make it there by lunch tomorrow, at this rate.

"Excuse me," a voice above Kirill startles him, has his stomach lurching and eyes widening- "are you alright?" Kirill swallows as he looks up at the concerned human at the top of the stairs and tries to calm his nerves. 

_ It's fine, _ he tells himself, trying not to panic,  _ he thinks I'm another human in need. It's perfectly normal to help your own kind. _

Kirill opens his mouth to reply but stops short- chirps and clicks won't work above water. He closes his mouth again, left hand coming up to cradle his throat as he frowns at the stone stairs. How is he supposed to find Derick and tell him what's going on without a voice?? Something soft is settling over his shoulders and Kirill's head whips up to find the stranger has descended the stairs and draped his own jacket over his shoulders. 

“Can you speak?” the stranger asks, kneeling down in front of him. Kirill grips the edges of the red jacket, pulling the fabric tighter around his body as he shakes his head. The human hums, eyeing him carefully. He seems to want to say something else but decides against it. “Can you walk?”

Honestly, Kirill isn’t sure if he can. He shakes his head again and the human sighs. 

“I’ll carry you. My apartment is a bit far, but the center should still be open.”

\---

The stranger (Doug decides to call him Lilac) is lighter than Doug expected, but it doesn’t mean that walking all the way to Seven Oceans while carrying another person is easy at all. Especially a naked, wet person who can’t seem to stay still. He eventually makes it back to Seven-O after a lot of struggles and strain, only to find the front doors locked. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Doug groans, letting his forehead thunk against the glass doors. He only has a key to the employee entrance.

On the other side of the building.

Doug sets Kirill down on the bench out front with a grunt, his hands going to his lower back when he straightens up. The stranger purses their lips, eyes narrowing when he massages his shoulders as well. “You’re not the heaviest thing I’ve ever lifted, but you’re no jellyfish either.” Doug grins when they scoff and turn their nose up at him. “Look, I gotta head around back and unlock the facility. Will you be alright here for now?” Lilac nods, clutching the jacket closer around his body. He’s shivering, Doug notes, before quickly making his way around the side of the building. 

He didn’t plan to come back to work until after the weekend, but what was he supposed to do after seeing a completely naked and soaking wet man dragging himself up the stairs?  _ Especially  _ a man that looks so much like the merman they released into the ocean only weeks earlier. Were they related somehow? A shapeshifter? Were shapeshifters even real??

Doug has way too many unanswered questions; there was no way he could leave the guy there.

He flips on lights as he goes through the halls, eyes skimming over the tanks of fish and Kay’s hastily scrawled post-it notes all over the place. Derick hasn’t been in the office in a few days since Travis sent him home to take a forced vacation, but he’ll be back tomorrow some time, and Kay wanted to make sure he knew exactly what had been done in his absence. 

Travis might be the boss of Seven Oceans, but Derick is the heart. 

When he unlocks the front door, Lilac is standing on wobbly legs, holding tight to the back of the bench. “What are you doing?” Doug asks. Lilac ignores him and continues slowly but surely walking towards the front door. Every step looks painful for him, but Doug waits patiently, holding the door open and his hand out in case Lilac needs it.

Lilac manages to wobble his way through the doors but he looks like he might collapse any minute. Doug wraps an arm around Lilac’s shoulder as an extra support while guiding him across the room. Lilac collapses heavily on the black couch in Derick's office, completely out of breath. “Can I get you something? A towel? Water?” Lilac shakes his head and curls up against the corner of the couch, tugging Derick’s jacket tighter around his body. Derrick scratches at the side of his head as he stares down at the naked man(?).

He brought him here, but what does he do now..?

\---

Kirill is desperate for a drink of water, and nearly takes the man up on his offer, but the healer had been adamant that he not touch any water until he was ready to become a merman again. She only had the one potion, so not only would it be disastrous to turn back into a mer on land, he wouldn’t be able to try again. 

His deadline is the full moon. If he can't get Derick and Valery to kiss before then…

“Look, this is going to sound kind of weird,” the man says, unfolding the orange and blue colored blanket that’s sitting on the end of the couch. “But… are you a merman by chance..?” Kirill tenses, eyeing the human cautiously. The man runs a hand through his hair and sighs. “Of course you wouldn’t just say yes.”

He moves over to the large bookshelf against the wall and runs his fingers along the spines of the books, for a minute, looking for a certain book, before tugging out a small red book. Kirill doesn’t see the cover of it, but it doesn’t seem like it matters since Doug simply pulls a piece of paper out of the book before tucking it back into the shelf and making his way back over to Kirill. He unfolds it before holding it out to Kirill, and the mer considers not taking it, but when he sees what’s on the paper, he’s sitting forward and snatching it before he can think twice. 

That’s-!

“So you know that mermaid?” 

Kirill looks at the drawing for a moment longer before looking up at the human, still wide eyed. He can’t believe it. He was expecting it to take more time, but this “Derick” just fell right into his lap! They can do this now- tonight! He can save Valery!

Kirill taps the picture of Valery frantically before pointing towards the front doors. The human blinks, looking from Kirill to the door and back. "That mer is out there..?" He says slowly and Kirill nods. He points at the human and then the door, "and you want me to go to them?" Kirill nods again, feeling a smile break out over his face; god, he could  _ kiss _ this "Derick"! Things are going so smoothly! He tosses the paper onto the small table in front of him before stretching his arms out towards the human.

"I have to carry you all the way  _ there _ too?" He sighs, hands on his hips, and Kirill frowns.

Maybe not kiss. He seems like a real ass. What does Valery even see in him?

\---

Another half hour sees them finally down at the docks and Doug feels like his arms will fall off if he has to carry the mer-turned-man one more time. When Doug sets Lilac down on his feet, he first pads over to the edge of the empty docks and eyes the waves lapping at the posts below. He looks tempted to dive right in, but he steps back with a small shake of his head and makes his way towards the rocky outcropping away from the boats.

Doug follows closely behind him, preparing himself for whatever may happen. Lilac slips on the rocks a few times, nearly taking them both out, but he eventually leads Doug to the other side, far enough to not be seen easily before collapsing onto the rough rock, breathing heavily. After catching his breath for a minute, he picks up one of the loose rocks and tosses it into the ocean. A long minute passes before the mer frowns and throws another rock, harder this time.

A few seconds pass before a familiar face breaches the surface and Doug has to sit down. He knows the Merman was just in their tank a few weeks ago, but it still seems surreal. 

Lilac is smiling, motioning at Doug excitedly, but Milla doesn't look as excited. He shakes his head, a sad smile on his lips. "Not Derick," he says quietly. Lilac is wide eyed when he whips his head around to look at Doug.

"I'm not," Doug confirms. Lilac groans loudly, slapping his hands over his face and flopping backwards against the rocks, making Doug smirk, "but I know where Derick is." That perks both the mers up immediately. "He'll be at work first thing tomorrow. I can bring him out here, if you need?"

Milla's nod is much more subdued than Lilac, who nods his head vehemently.

"During the day might be dangerous, so how about tomorrow evening, after the sun sets?" Doug asks. The mers exchange worried glances, and Doug wonders if he's said something wrong, but Milla gives him another soft smile and nods.

"Please."

\---

Derick frowns when he finds the front doors of Seven Oceans already unlocked and the lights on in the front. Deana’s gonna get an earful when she comes in later, for sure.

“Good morning, Delilah,” Derick greets the jellyfish swimming in the large tank up front with a smile. His smile widens when he sees the multitude of multicolored sticky notes all around the room. Kay, probably. He pulls off and reads every note he passes as he flips on the lights through the building on the way to his office but stops in the doorway, brows furrowing when he sees Doug asleep on his couch. There’s something- some _one,_ he realizes, curled into a ball on the opposite end of the couch, slim ankles peeking out from beneath the thin blanket. Derick drops his sticky notes. Had Doug brought a _sex_ _partner_ into _his office??_

“Doug!” Derrick hisses, shoving the sleeping man’s shoulder. Doug inhales sharply, startled awake, but relaxes when he sees Derick in front of him. 

“Derick, you’re back,” he mumbles, voice thick with sleep. He winces as he sits up straighter, stretching his arms above his head and his legs out in front of him. “Welcome back.”

“Don’t give me that,” Derick frowns and folds his arms over his chest. “You brought someone into the facility?? Into my  _ office??” _

“Right,” Doug rolls his neck trying to work out some of the tension from his cramped sleeping position. “Did you know Milla had a brother?” Doug pats and shoves at the bundle of blankets beside him as he drags his other hand through his hair. The person under the blankets groans and Derick’s eyes narrow, flicking between Doug and the shifting blanket bundle. 

“I didn’t,” he answers carefully, “but I figured he had a family of some sort. Most creatures do.”

“Mhm. Well, I met his brother last night,” Doug smiles up at him. Before Derick can ask what he means, the blankets shift revealing a headful of messy lilac hair and familiar crystal blue eyes. Derick’s satchel slips off his shoulder, hitting the tile floor beneath him with a heavy thunk.

“Doug… Doug, what is this?” Derick can’t take his eyes off Kirill, even as he yawns sleepily and rubs at his eyes. “Why- if he’s Milla’s- but legs-” he can’t find his words. 

“I have no idea,” Doug shrugs as he stands. “He can’t talk, but he brought me out to Milla thinking I was you.” Derick’s heart skips a beat.

“Milla was looking for  _ me?” _ Derick asks quietly. 

“I told them we’d come back after sundown when the fishermen have all gone home, so we won’t garner so much attention.” 

Derick can’t believe it. He never thought he’d see the merman again. He thought  _ for sure _ that Milla would swim back to his pod and forget all about him and the humans who kept him hostage for a week. He was sure Milla would avoid humans for the rest of his life- but instead, he’s  _ looking _ for Derick?

He has so many questions! Nightfall can’t come soon enough!

\---

Derick, the  _ real _ Derick, carries Kirill on his back that night to meet Valery. 

Doug and Derick had fed him and let him roam around the center all day, since the facility is closed to outsiders on the weekends. Kirill’s legs were more steady and less sensitive today, but it still didn’t mean he could walk continuously for long periods of time. He’s wrapped in Derick’s blue and orange blanket “to protect his modesty”, Derick had said, and they do get more than a few odd looks as they walk through town, but no one comments on it or stops them as they make their way down to the docks. When they reach the rocky outcropping, Derick has to set Kirill down so he can use his hands to climb over the rocks. Kirill isn’t as out of breath this time when he finally makes it to their meeting spot, but he still quickly drops to his hands and knees, feeling around for a rock to pitch into the ocean. 

He throws the first one, waits a few seconds, and then throws a second one into the waves. A long moment passes but still Valery doesn’t breach the surface and Kirill’s stomach sinks. No… What if Valery… What if Valery didn’t make it through the night?? This is what he had been most afraid of- playing with time! If Doug had just brought Derick here last night-!

Just as he’s preparing to throw himself into the ocean and look for Valery himself, Valery’s head breaches the surface. Kirill’s heart is still in his throat as he takes Valery in; his skin looks even more sickly in the moonlight, and the bags under his eyes say he hasn’t slept well. His bright blue eyes have lost their sparkle, and even his long, silky hair looks lackluster. In just one day, he already looks so much worse; Kirill feels like he might cry. Valery still smiles when he sees Kirill though, and Kirill holds his arms out, desperate to feel his brother- to know he’s truly alive and not just a phantom in the water. Valery’s fingers are cold- colder than they should be- and Kirill knows they have to hurry. 

“Milla,” Derick breathes behind him, catching Valery’s attention. Valery might feel as cold as ice, but the smile he gives Derick is so full of warmth- it makes Kirill’s stomach do a little flip-flop.

“Derick,” he murmurs. His voice sounds so natural; Valery was made for this. Valery was always meant to be a human. Kirill backs up to give Valery space to climb up onto the rocks with them, but when Valery tries to push himself up, his arms buckle and he slips back into the ocean. Valery looks up at Kirill sadly and the younger mer is rushing forward to cup Valery’s cheeks in an instant. 

Valery doesn’t even have the strength to lift himself out of the water anymore. Kirill croons mournfully, pressing his forehead to Valery’s and Valery returns his sad cry with a reassuring trill as he holds tight to Kirill’s hands on his cheeks.

“He’s sick,” Derick says, voice a lot closer than it was before. Kirill can see him out of the corner of his eyes, watching Valery with a pinched expression. Derick shoves his shirt sleeves up to his elbows. “We need to get him out. Doug, did you bring your phone? I’m gonna need a flashlight.” When Valery lets him go, Kirill scoots to the side, allowing Derick to reach into the waves and hoist Valery out of the waves. Valery’s arms wrap around Derick’s neck, holding tight to Derick’s broad shoulders as the human hefts him out with a grunt. 

“You’ve lost weight,” Derick huffs, setting Valery down on the discarded blanket. 

“That’s not the only thing he’s lost,” Doug murmurs, pointing his cell phone light at Valery’s body. Kirill knows it’s bad. Entire patches of scales are missing, and Valery’s coloring is a mere shadow of what it used to be. 

“Oh Milla,” Derick breathes, “what happened to you..?” He cups Valery’s cheeks, turning him this way and that, and skims his hands over Valery’s body, checking for injuries. When a patch of scales comes off in his hand, Derick makes a choked noise. “Was- did being above the surface do this to you? The treatment in the water?” Derick is wracking his brain, trying to figure out what caused this, Kirill can see it in his eyes. “Is there any way to fix this?” Derick’s eyes are on him now, “Is that why you brought him here?” Kirill nods vehemently.

“Okay,” Derick breathes, “Okay.” he says again, “then let’s get him back to the center.”

Wait, no-

“Doug, can you run back and bring the truck? We can load him in the bed and cover him with towels-” 

“On it,” Doug agrees instantly, turning to head back the way they came, but they  _ can’t! _ There’s not enough time! Putting Valery back in that tank won’t solve anything!!

“No!” Kirill croaks, clinging to Doug’s leg in a move of desperation. Doug staggers and falls to his knees, knocking Kirill off his leg. “No,” Kirill repeats again as Doug sits up beside him.

“No?” Derick repeats, incredulous. “You don’t want him to leave here?” Kirill nods. “I don’t- I don’t have anything here to help him though-” Derick shakes his head, brows furrowed. “I know you’re scared for your family, but I can’t save him if we don’t take him-”

Kirill knows he can’t explain the whole situation- it’s a miracle he even managed to get the word ‘no’ out clear enough to be understood- but he can show them! Kissing isn’t just for humans, after all!

He grabs Doug’s face with both hands and pulls him sideways into a rushed kiss. The angle is wrong, and in Kirill’s haste, he’s pretty sure he busted his lip on his own front teeth, but their lips meet and that’s what matters. When he pulls away, he ignores Doug’s wide eyes and meet’s Derick’s wide eyes instead. He points at Derick and nods his head at Valery, hoping with all his heart that Derick  _ understands- _

Valery’s hands cup Derick’s cheeks, drawing Derick’s violet eyes back to him. “Derick,” Valery says again, voice soft, and Derick must understand, because his own hands come up to gently cradle Valery’s cheeks and their lips meet. 

It’s much less hurried than Kirill’s impromptu kiss with Doug, and softer than any sand bed Kirill has laid upon before. It’s chaste, of course, but filled with so much passion and love Kirill can feel it even feet away from them. He can feel their fierce desperation for Valery to  _ live. _

Though their lips separate, Valery and Derick remain close together, noses brushing with every breath. Derick's thumbs caress Valery's cheek bones softly, carefully, like he's handling a precious shell. "Was that right?" He breathes. Valery gives a small nod.

"Well what do we do now?" Doug breaks the silence. To be honest, Kirill isn't really sure what to expect next. The healer just said they needed to kiss and then-

Valery gasps, hands flying up to claw at the gills on the sides of his neck. Kirill’s eyes widen, knowing exactly what his brother must be feeling. "Milla?!" Derick grabs Valery's upper arms, supporting the Merman as he gasps and chokes, tail curling and uncurling, knocking off more scales as it drags over the rough surface of the rock. 

Kirill doesn't realize how badly he's trembling himself until Doug wraps his arm around Kirill's shoulders and tugs him against his chest. Kirill fists his hands in the scratchy fabric of Doug's shirt and buries his face in Doug's neck- he can't look. He's absolutely terrified. 

After what feels like an eternity but must only be a few minutes, the sharp gasps of pain and the slapping sound of Valery's tail against the rocks stops. All Kirill can hear is heavy breathing, but he's not sure whose it is. Kirill raises his head but doesn't release Doug's shirt and turns to look at his brother.

Valery is laying flat against the rocks, chest heaving as Derick leans over him, murmuring soft words of comfort and petting Valery's hair. His gills and fins are gone, and when he looks further down, he finds a pair of legs. Valery's eyes open and when they meet Kirill's, he smiles. It's soft and exhausted but  _ genuine _ and Kirill chokes out a small sob. Valery's hand still trembles when he holds it out and Kirill lets go of Doug to take Valery's web-less fingers into his own. 

Valery is  _ alive. _

\---

“Milla,” Derick pokes his head around the doorway, smiling brightly, “when you finish up there, we’re gonna head out for lunch!” 

“Okay,” Valery returns Derick’s smile with one of his own sunshiney smiles and Kirill sighs. It was cute at first, but after seeing it every day...

“It’s been six months,” Kirill grouses, dragging his hand across the water’s surface, “will he  _ ever _ call you by your name?” Valery laughs and tosses another fish to the dolphin swimming laps in the tank in front of him.

“I don’t mind. It’s a cute name.” 

Kirill rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue. Of  _ course _ his brother wouldn’t mind. He’s living his  _ dream _ life. Kirill, on the other hand, is living in a nightmare. 

Kirill never asked to be a human. He was perfectly content living in the ocean, breathing through gills and feeding on fish and clams. He didn’t ask to be stuck above the surface with these twiggy little legs and stuffy, itchy clothes. He misses his tail! He misses his gorgeous, floaty, shimmering tail! He misses being able to just  _ dive  _ into the water any time he wants, being able to swim as fast as a dolphin- he’s having to learn how to swim as a human now, because these stupid  _ legs _ don’t work like fins and fish tails do. 

He supposes it’s a good thing he can’t swim like he could before, though, because if he could, he’d have already throttled the healer by now for not mentioning that he shouldn’t kiss anyone while on the surface. It’s not like Kirill  _ planned _ to have to kiss anyone, and sure, there was probably a better way to get Derick and Valery to kiss, but he was panicked! In the heat of the moment it was the best he could do! 

After saying his tearful goodbyes and making Valery promise to be safe and visit him often, he’d slipped into the ocean, prepared for the pain of regrowing his gills and fins, but nothing happened. Valery suggested that maybe the potion had a time limit and he just had to wait it out, but here he is, six months later, still without a tail. He and Valery had been moved in with Derick and made to learn about “human customs”, like wearing clothes and speaking. Max and Yuri had taught them sign language as well, which Kirill is grateful for, because he can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating it is to not be able to voice your needs in a way others can understand. 

Human life isn’t  _ horrible, _ but it’s definitely a lot to get used to. With practice, he’s mastered walking and running, and his legs don’t hurt anymore when he uses them. Kirill isn’t sure he enjoys having to wear clothes constantly, but the amount of delicious food he’s been able to eat on land makes up for it. 

Valery dusts his hands off and stands, taking the empty fish bucket as he makes his way to the back door of the building where Derick is waiting to take the empty pail. Valery’s hair glitters in the sunlight again, and his skin doesn't have that sickly translucent hue to it anymore. He doesn’t have his glimmering, eye catching scales or flowing fins, but his eyes have their sparkle back, and his cheeks always have a healthy flush to them… and that's all thanks to Derick.

Kirill doesn't mind admitting that Derick is a great guy. He (tries to) cook and gives them a place to stay. He teaches them about the human world and takes Kirill to the beach any time he wants, even if he's already been there twice that day, and he never makes Kirill feel guilty about needing to cuddle on the couch with Valery sometimes, on nights when he can't sleep and misses the ocean. Most importantly, he always makes Valery smile like  _ that, _ and that makes him the greatest human Kirill has ever met. 

"Kirill!" Valery calls, waving the younger Mer closer. His other hand is holding Derick's, their fingers entwined, and Kirill finds himself smiling as well as he pushes to his feet.

He might not have yearned for the life of a human, but this is what he's got to deal with for now. And as much as he misses his tail, seeing Valery happy and alive makes up for all of it.


End file.
